Hell of Midgard
by Ichigo to Hana
Summary: Fourth installment of the Hell-series. Hel is off on travels around Midgard during the events of Age of Ultron and Civil War. Her conclusion? Midgard is hell and mortals are insane. And who can blame her?
1. Hulk

**CHAPTER 1**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own.

* * *

CHAPTER 1 Hulk

_Do they always have to get into fights? Couldn't they just sit back for a month or two and relax? But noooo… 'There is a need for safety and we invented a thing to solve the problem.' And then there's this robot that feels self-righteous just because his data analysed Midgard and decided they are a threat on themselves. Well, no kidding! Surprise of the century._

Hel stretched her back as she watched the souls rushing around her in their turmoil. Well, not souls yet. At the moment it was a mass of panicking mortals. Nothing the young goddess was utterly fond of. _It only taints their souls. They're going to be skittish like a young colt._

She shook her head, turning to watch the Avengers trying their best to save all the innocent citizens of Sokovia. Right from the moment Hel had felt compelled to come to this place she had known it was a futile attempt. Not many, not enough would survive the attack of the killer robots. Even, if Ultron originally had had good intentions.

"This is one hell of a mess," she muttered to herself and whirled out of the way of running passengers of the airborne city. "And not the good kind of mess. Even though I am bound to get a good handful of new subjects. No Valkyries showed up until now."

Hel dove into the shadows of a crumbled building, using it to shield her from view, as she took away her invisibility. Not for any particular reason other than she felt like it. _If any of the Avengers just happened to notice me that might be nice, but not needed. I bet Steven is still grumpy about me keeping his best friend a safe distance away from him. Even, if it is the best at the moment. Neither their souls can handle this kind of emotional baggage at the moment._

The city sagged under her feet. Cries got louder; Hel noticed strong currents of energy unleashing. _So Stark did have a plan to get the city down without too many casualties._She peered into the sky with narrowed eyes. The helicarrier hovered in the same place as before. Whoever was still in the city, was lost. Her senses detected the Man of Iron beneath the city, her uncle in the centre where lightning struck relentlessly. Two other souls were just leaving the city. _Another newbie. Another fly to catch. Interesting._

Something caught her eye. While the helicarrier stayed locked in mid-air, one of the quinjets chased overhead. Too high to be of any assistance. Not towards the helicarrier either. Just out, as if ready to go into space. That didn't look like part of the plan. Not even in a badly thought through performance of one Steven Grant Rogers or Anthony Edward Stark. That was someone improvising without any knowledge for subtlety.

Immediately, Hel's interest was piqued. A small smile played across her lips, as the young woman decided to investigate the strange behaviour of this flying object. Without dilly-dallying around, Hel opened one of her portals. It led her right into the interior of the quinjet – and to the Hulk. Hel stopped short. She remembered her father's tales about this particular individual's strength.

"Hulk?" she carefully asked. The green giant turned around to look at her. There was such sadness in his eyes; Hel could almost feel it choke her. "What's the matter, big guy?" she knew Tony addressed him as such; so maybe it would convince him she was friendly.

"Hulk leave," the green man said. "Hulk not wanted here." He vaguely gestured at the rapidly shrinking surface of Earth beneath them. Something in his demeanour told her that something else was bothering him as well. "Hulk not wanted anywhere. No one likes Hulk. Only use Hulk."

Hel tilted her head slightly. "They don't like me either. I don't let that stop me."

"Little God right. But Hulk don't want to anymore." He turned away from her, sitting with crossed legs, hands resting in his lap and staring at the sky in front of him. _He's accepting his fate of almost certain death just to cleanse Midgard of what he deems is his cursed presence. _Hel's eyes widened. _But I promised Doctor Banner to keep trying. I was sure… No. This cannot be the end of his journey. Out there is some godforsaken planet that would love this green giant and welcome him into their middle with open arms._

"Hulk?" Hel stepped closer to him, purposefully making sounds to allow him to judge her distance. "Would you allow me to bring you to a safe place to stay outside of Midgard?" She kept her face calm and slightly inviting as the mutant turned towards her. His eyes predictably searched her face for some kind of clue. Maybe to assure some rational part of him that this was someone he could trust. "I told you to keep trying," Hel said. "And I keep my promises."

Hulk considered her for some time. So much time in fact that Hel feared he might just decide to die and go to Valhalla as one of Odin's prized treasures. _Yeah, as if that's going to happen. You belong to my collection. And your time hasn't come. _Hel got down on her knees in front of him, effectively mirroring his posture, looking at him with honest eyes.

"Do you trust me?"

The green man looked at her outstretched hand as if it brought up another memory. He recoiled slightly. "Little God not good," Hulk mumbled. "Puny God father. Puny God bad."

"But I'm not my father. I am my own person. And I want to help you, Hulk. You are important and don't deserve to die." Hel forced herself to keep her voice smooth, coaxing. As if speaking with a frightened soul – which Hulk somehow was, if you looked at it from the right angle. Not even his other half liked him all that much.

So, Hel turned her hand around as if wanting to initiate a handshake. The notion of placing his hand on hers obviously didn't appeal to him so this was the first alternative that came to her mind.

"Do you trust me?"

Hulk looked between her face and her hand. Finally, he very gingerly grabbed her hand in a loose handshake. "Hulk trusts Little God. Bring Hulk away."

Hel nodded her consent, reciprocating the tender pressure of their handshake. Even though Hulk might not be aware of it, he had just made a deal with the goddess of death and she always kept her promises. So Hel carefully manoeuvred herself in front of Hulk, tapping across the control panel. But since nothing worked too smoothly, she snapped her fingers and let her green little friends do the work for her.

"Don't worry, Hulk. I promise to bring you to a place that likes you and you will like as well. You'll never have to keep up with the ignorance of mortals again."

He blinked at her slowly, obviously confused, but Hel didn't feel like explaining it any further. She gave the giant a gentle smile. "I wish you happiness." Then she opened a portal in front of the quinjet to bring Hulk safely to his destination – wherever exactly that was. Another portal opened under her feet. The young goddess waved one last time at the still crouching Hulk with the sad eyes and fell out of existence.


	2. Peggy

**CHAPTER 2**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own.

* * *

CHAPTER 2 Peggy

A good amount of time later, Hel sat in the twilight of a Midgardian bedroom. The woman in the bed had softly curled white hair, her face lined with age. Tired eyes shifted through the room, unseeing before drifting close. Hel lowered her eyes. _I don't like seeing them like this. All that potential. Washed away by time, by sorrow, by pain. Nothing lasts forever for these mortals. And this one…_

Without meaning to, she looked back up at the woman in bed. Laying still, on her back, chest raising and falling lightly with each breath. Growing softer, pliant in the pillows and blankets. Hel monitored her calmly. _This soul deserves to come to me of her own volition. No merits in ripping her out in the middle of something._

A blond woman entered the room. She was maybe in her late twenties or early thirties. "Aunt Peggy?" she asked quietly. "Are you awake?" Hel rolled her eyes, almost groaned. _Of course she's not awake. Obviously, she is sitting in bed, eager for your conversation. Go right on, why don't you? Wake her, rip her soul away from the brink of death just so she doesn't disappoint you._

But despite her silent protests, Peggy Carter slowly opened her eyes. They shifted around the room in an effort to locate the noise. When she fixed on the young woman, a soft smile graced her lips, giving a glance at her past beauty. "Angie?" She coughed, before clearing her throat. "Oh, Angie, I haven't seen you so long." Another weak cough, her breath wheezing.

Hel knew, this wasn't supposed to be funny. On the contrary, it was tragic that a woman as intelligent, cunning, resourceful as Margaret Carter was reduced to a mumbling old woman with a memory worse than Swiss cheese, but the goddess still almost doubled over laughing. "Oh, this is rich," Hel gasped for breath, "To think that your niece comes in. Your niece that was secretly supervising your ex-lover and the first thing you think of is your old housemate. And the two don't even look alike. And look at her face; Sharon is so sad about – oh dear! Even without memory you do have a sense for irony, Miss Carter."

"No, it's me. Sharon." The woman inched closer towards the bed, shoulders slightly bent. "I'm your niece." Visibly drawn between sitting down on the edge of the bed and getting a chair close to the bed, Sharon hovered close by, observing her aunt's reaction to her mistake. Peggy's eyes cleared slightly; gaining some of the sharpness they had held during most of her life. "Yes. Of course," she struggled to draw in another breath, "Sharon. I'm sorry."

As if the correction had taken up most of her energy, Peggy sank back into her pillows. Her eyes drooped close once again. A shuddering breath left her lips in a word no one but her could discern. It may have been a name, a long-forgotten memory surfacing along with it.

Hel tilted her head, green eyes intently staring at the softly rising and falling chest of the old woman. She was back asleep, and Sharon seemed to come to the same conclusion, for the agent turned around and left the room with whispered words of goodbye. Unknowing, it would be the last words she ever said to her aunt. That was a knowledge only Hel was privy to, as she watched the young blonde go. _Sleep, bravest of women. Sleep deep and long, slip into it as easily as breathing. Cease your fight. You don't belong in this world anymore. Come, come away with me. I won't hold you long. Your deed is done. I will watch over you and those you hold dear. Trust my cunning to ensure their safety._

"Who are you?" a voice demanded.

Deliberately slow, Hel turned her head back towards the bed. On the bed sat a young woman, her brown hair carefully styled into a faux-bob curling around her pretty face. _I can see, why Steven felt inclined to fall for her._Hel felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards. _Peggy Carter is a beauty and she doesn't need anyone but herself in most situations._

"I won't ask again," Peggy growled. "Who are you?"

The smile grew crooked, similar to her father's, as Hel meaningfully flickered her eyes between the face of the young Carter and her corpse lying literally beneath her, head resting on the pillows, chest as still as stone. "My name is Hel," she introduced herself, leaning back in her chair. "I heard a lot about you."

"Hel," Peggy repeated, tasting the name on her tongue. "Like the Norse Goddess of Death?"

Hel beamed at her. Surprised, but insanely pleased to be recognized for who she was. "I see you did your homework on the Winter's Casket thoroughly, Miss Carter. And if you know my name, you also know what that means." Another bright smile as Peggy slowly nodded her head, looking around her for the first time since dying. "I always imagined it to be different. Not this peaceful."

"It only was, because I decided to make it peaceful for you. Lure you to sleep and let you come to me of your own volition." Hel clasped her hands in her lap. She had time. All the time in the world. "I could have ripped your soul right out of your body just as well, frayed at the edges, torn and scared to be thrown into my dark kingdom. Or taken you long before your time was up, before Steven could see you again. Leave the thread hanging, unfinished, unrequited forevermore."

Peggy swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Yes, thank you. You could have done a lot of things differently, I understand." She threw Hel a calculating look, which caused the other woman to raise a single brow. _If living with my father taught me anything, then to smell when something is amiss._

"I have a request."

"Why should I care?"

"Because you lured me in and didn't do any of the other things, as you pointed out." Peggy watched Death with a triumphant glint in her eyes, determination radiating off of her. Hel blinked once, twice. Then a pearly laugh ripped from her throat. Peggy didn't let that irritate her. "You waited for me by my side until I was weakest and had concluded my goodbyes." She let her eyes trail over Hel lounging in the chair beside the bed. Invisible to the world but not the dead.

"Maybe I should have ripped your soul," Hel mused darkly. Mostly to see, what the magnificent Agent Carter would do about it.

To her surprise – not that Hel would ever admit to it – Peggy didn't let the threat bother her. Instead the brunette rose to her feet before the young woman. "I have one last wish. I want to see Steve and say goodbye to him." Her voice was firm, unrelenting, seemingly unused to being contradicted. Hel had to admit it was a bit impressive.

And thus, the Goddess of Death caved in to the moral soul before her.

* * *

They found Steve in the midst of a meeting of the Avengers. The discussion was about some accords that apparently related to the airborne city Hel had last seen them at. Nothing of particular interest to the young woman. She and Peggy floated, invisible, above it all. They saw the teammates discussing, arguing about the pros and cons of the whole deal while Steve silently leafed through the accords. His serum allowed him to read fast and remember every word he read.

At last, he voiced his concern with the accords as they were managed in this draft. Apparently, politicians were to decide when the next expedition of the Avengers was to be, or better yet, when and where they were to fight. Hel snorted. _As if that is going to work with this bunch of chaotic maniacs._

Peggy meanwhile smiled fondly. Her brown eyes were solely trained on Steve, as he stood his ground while remaining seated. "He still does what he deems right, doesn't he? Still jumping on any grenade he can find." The smile was audible in her voice even as she floated closer towards Steve. "Bucky would be so proud of him." Hel caught the slightly wet eye of her new subject. "But now all his world is gone. I was the last, but even I couldn't keep up with him." The brunette floated even closer to her ex-lover, stroking his cheek lovingly. "At least I get to be reunited with Angie and Bucky and all our friends. But you, oh Steve…"

"He fell out of time. It can happen."

Peggy straightened her back, looking over her shoulder at Hel, eyes intense. "No. He refused to give his coordinates and nose-dived into the arctic. He is that kind of dramatic. And I had to pick up the pieces. Of his influence, and our lives," she drew in a suddenly shaky breath, "With the guilt weighing all of us down. Even my dear Angie, although she didn't know him personally. Just as I was weighed down by Bucky's death even though we didn't have much time together."

_You both were before your time_, Hel thought. _Had the times been different, you would have had a long, prosper and happy life together. Surrounded by so much love._A pit grew in her stomach._Love no one could ever grasp or understand. Such lucky people._

As if in reaction to her thoughts, Peggy whirled around, staring Hel down. "Protect him," she said with conviction. "Promise me to protect him."

"I will promise no such thing," Hel replied coolly. "I am not your servant to command. I am your Queen. Underestimating my potential usually proves to be fatal." Her gemstone eyes held dark promises. Promises of torture and unimaginable pain for whomever crossed her.

Still, Peggy stood her ground. She stared Death in the eye; chin stubbornly lowered, lips pressed into a thin line. Every muscle screamed military training and years of experience in the field. Even more so, she stalked towards Hel until they stood almost toe to toe. "Promise me," she repeated just as strongly as before.

Hel narrowed her eyes at her. "Say your goodbyes and then we'll leave. Speak now or be silent forever." When Peggy still didn't react, Hel twitched her head quickly. "Your decision." And without any warning at all, Hel opened her portals and the two fell through them.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that!" Peggy stumbled slightly as they came out of the portal. Hel gave her an unimpressed look. "I didn't have to do what?" Peggy glared at her with narrowed eyes. Her appearance changed slightly, influenced by her raging emotions. The blouse and skirt melted into a uniform Hel knew to be from Agent Carter's days in the military during the war. Her faux-bob morphed into an intricate braid at the nape of her neck, while her eyes gained ferocity.

_My, she really is a little spitfire. I see, why Steven took a liking to her and even my brave soldier can't say a bad word about her. This woman is amazing in everything she does. What a waste on a mere mortal. She would have been worshipped as a goddess in Asgard, one of the legendary warriors or even part of the Valkyrior. Even though I wouldn't like her as much if she were a Valkyrie._

Hel didn't let her thoughts show on her face. Instead, she regarded Peggy with mild amusement, because this was a mortal soul trying to snap at an almost immortal goddess.

"Bring me back to Steve. I wasn't done," Peggy demanded. Once more, she stalked towards Hel. But this time, the young woman wove her magic around Peggy's ankles to root her in place. "Is that how you show gratitude for not ripping you out of your body?" Hel's voice dripped with false sweetness. "How you thank me for letting you see your darling sweetheart one last time? In case you forgot: I am the Goddess of Death. You are dead and thus my subject. I am the one to make the demands, not you." Hel magically zipped Peggy's mouth closed when the woman opened it. "Hush, your queen is talking. Had you listened to my warnings – which I didn't have to give you by the way – you might have had the time to say goodbye to Steven. However, you chose to ignore me and now you're facing the consequences. I do what I want. Deal with it."

A door opened, and light was switched on. It revealed the two women standing in the middle of a little apartment, if it could even be called that. In the light it was a single room with a mattress in one corner and a kitchenette in the other. Between that a table and that was it. Its inhabitant slowly entered, pulling the cap off his head. Dark locks fell around his face and his left arm whirred softly. He stopped in the doorframe, eyes darting around suspiciously. Automatically, his hands wandered to around his belt looking for weapons that were no longer there.

"Hel." His voice sounded gruff as if rarely used. "I told you before, you can't just barge in here." His dark gaze fixed exactly on where Hel stood under her guise of invisibility. Being discovered, the young woman blinked into existence with a rueful smile. "Forgive me, brave soldier mine." She ignored the gasp she heard coming from Peggy as the other woman recognized whom they were facing. Instead, Hel hopped onto the table, dangling her feet seemingly carefree. "In my defence, I would have called ahead and even asked you to meet me somewhere outside, just so you can keep your sanctuary all to yourself," she paused, "Because it belongs to you. No one can take it from you."

Bucky's eyes darted around the room for a second, as if making sure she hadn't disturbed anything. They lingered on a pair of floorboards close to one of the windows. "So why are you here then?"

Hel gave her soldier a once over, mutely evaluating his state of mind since he escaped HYDRA and went into hiding. _The commands are still in place. We might need to do something about that… But not now. First, he needs to rediscover his will to live and sense of self. Otherwise he won't trust anyone._She cleared her throat. "It is a bit unexpected, but I brought you someone. You might know her."

With a wave of her hand the translucent form of Peggy Carter appeared next to the table, still in her impeccable uniform. Both veterans stared at one another. Hel watched with barely concealed interest, as Peggy's mouth opened and closed like a fish's, while Bucky's expression turned from surprised to confused to dark. "Why did you bring her here?" Bucky kept staring straight at Peggy.

"She asked me to look out for Steven, even after I granted her the wish of seeing him one last time." Hel shifted her weight, regarding her nails with interest. "You know I don't take commands too well. So, I thought, I'd show her exactly how good at caretaking I am. Plus," she lifted her gaze to stare at the pair in front of her, "I figured you might want to say goodbye as well."

"Wait, so you saved him?" Peggy looked between Bucky and Hel. "You are responsible for him surviving?"

"I saved his soul." Hel grinned. "So yes, I like to think of it that way. Even though, I suppose that's only half of the truth. He saved himself a lot as well. My brave soldier surely didn't stick his head in the sand like Steven decided to do after his nose-dive."

Bucky shifted his stance, visibly uncomfortable. "I didn't deserve saving. Never did, never will. It… I'm not as important as him."

Peggy looked like she just swallowed a worm. "Have you seen Steve after your death? He was walking around with the look as if someone killed his favourite puppy. He tried to drown himself in alcohol as little as it worked for him. It took months and several sessions of me trying to talk to him to get him to properly function outside of missions." She reached out, ignoring how her hands sunk into Bucky's shoulders. "And even then, Steve grew reckless, he wanted to get to the end of the line you promised. He never prepared to live without you."

_Now this is turning out to be a lot more interesting than I thought it might be._Hel leaned back on her hands. Her green eyes jumped between the faces of both friends, observing their every reaction. _Peggy really does know a thing or two about talking to these two stubborns._

Bucky on the other hand looked mostly surprised at the shining blue image of his best friend's ex-lover. Her words hit a mark. His eyes darted around the room in the beginnings of unease. Peggy noticed and had the mind to back of slightly. She made no sound on the wooden floor, retreated back to Hel, coming to stand almost behind her shoulder. As if Hel was a physical barrier between them.

"Five things you can see," Hel instructed her soldier calmly. Bucky looked around, his lips moving in silent words, naming things he saw. His fingers twitched as if willing to count or fighting against an ingrained instinct. Or both.

"Four things you can touch," Hel went on. Peggy watched the twitching man in front of them with intense eyes. It was the first time she laid eyes on Bucky post HYDRA. His eyes still didn't linger on things too long, his feet spread, ready to move in any direction. Ready to run and hide or attack.

"Three things you can hear," Hel said. After that she kept her breathing slightly louder than before. Just steady calm breaths for her soldier to count should he wish so. Four seconds in, hold for seven seconds, out for eight seconds. And slowly but surely his breathing pattern matched hers. Calm and steady. Four seconds in, hold for seven seconds, out for eight seconds. His hands stopped clenching, some muscles visibly relaxed. Hel sent a soft wave of her magic to him. Not in the way she would to calm souls she was about to collect, just a small gust to mutely show her appreciation of how well her brave soldier fared.

"Two things you can smell." It would have been easy to just use her magic to accomplish that as well, but Hel had found out that Bucky didn't appreciate it, when she manipulated him with her magic. Peggy still silently watched the interaction between her comrade and the goddess of death. _I'm sure nothing slips past her. This woman has some kind of x-ray vision. There is no other way to explain most of the things she accomplished in her live against the troubles men sent her through._

"One thing you can taste." Out of thin air, Hel held a plum in the palm of her hand. Well, not really thin air. A teleportation from within the fridge into the palm of her hand. Bucky watched the fruit for a moment. Then, without a single word uttered, he stalked forward and took the fruit from Hel. The ex-assassin didn't even look at the women before him as he devoured the plum as if he hadn't eaten in days.

Hel watched him with passive eyes, awaiting him acknowledging her to take up their conversation. When he finally looked up at them, strands of hair falling into his face and eyes, Hel gave him a soft smile. "Well done, brave soldier mine," she praised quietly. "You did so well for me." Slowly she reached a hand for his face, palm open and upward. With the care one might not expect from the goddess of death, Hel cupped Bucky's chin in her hand. "You are loved. Cared for. No one can harm you now. You're yours and you are mine."

Peggy observed the interaction with an unreadable expression. Not even Loki, master of body language, would have been able to deduce any of her thoughts on the display before her. Not that Hel cared what a mere mortal thought of her handling of her brave soldier. _She's just here because Bucky and Steven liked her anyway. Her trip's been going on for too long. I should just cut it short._

"Thank you," Peggy said quietly. The other two looked back at her in slight surprise. A sad smile graced the agent's lips. "Thank you for taking care of my boys." A shimmering arm curled around Hel's shoulders in a ghostly hug. _Well this is awkward._

Hel jumped out of the hug, avoiding Bucky's questioning look and Peggy's big doe eyes. _Odin's beard they're adorable. No wonder Steven fell into annihilation when he thought he lost them both. Can't say I don't understand him._

"Say your goodbyes now and then we'll leave," Death announced with as much authority in her voice as she could muster. Peggy nodded her head slowly. This time there was no arguing. Only quiet understanding that whatever she could wish for was already taken care of. So, Peggy turned to Bucky and wrapped him in her ghostly arms. "I'm so glad you have a second chance. And one of us needs to have an eye on Steve before he does something stupid." She pressed her red-painted lips against his cheek. "I'm happy for you two. Know you are loved. He will do anything to protect you. You are worth saving, James Buchanan Barnes."

Hel shifted her weight, watching the two friends say their goodbyes. "Come on, the Howling Commandos are probably already awaiting you," she eventually said. Bucky turned with Peggy to watch the ghost step up to Death. No discussion, no further words. His eyes strayed towards the pair of floorboards. _I guess I now know his hiding place for his journals. Glad to see, he's taking my advice to heart and preserving his re-found memories. Someday he'll go through them and by that time he'll be able to distinguish real from nightmare._

"Greet the Howlers," Bucky suddenly said. The smile that broke out on Peggy's face was genuine and mischievous. "They won't know what hit them." Bucky responded with a wry grin: "That's what I thought."

As if previously arranged, both Hel and Peggy saluted, saying their goodbye as the portal opened beneath their feet and they fell out of the ex-assassin's apartment.


	3. Natasha

**CHAPTER 3**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except my own.

* * *

CHAPTER 3 Natasha

"It's not even a week after Peggy's death and they have time to mess everything up? By my realm, these mortals don't beat around the bush." Hel rubbed her forehead. She felt a headache crawl up on her with damning accuracy. "Ever heard of discussions?" she asked no one in particular. "Not rushing in headfirst would be another great idea. I heard of this grand method of 'talking it through'."

Death looked around herself, noting the Valkyries carrying off the last souls of the Vienna bombing. _An act of war conducted by a supposed war criminal, who just happens to also be the prisoner of war supreme. Logic. Logic could be applied. But nooooo… Let's rush in headfirst, consider the Sokovian accords or whatever and swear vengeance against someone, who would gain exactly nothing from doing this! Never went wrong with that plan._

A Valkyrie stepped up next to Hel, overlooking the smoking ruins and Midgardians rushing back and forth. "We got a great warrior of Wakanda among them," the woman said casually. Hel looked at her from the corner of her eyes. "And? How is the weather in Valhalla otherwise?" she threw right back. The warrior blinked, no understanding in her eyes, which made Hel groan.

"The next Wakandan warrior swore vengeance on your favourite toy," the Valkyrie elaborated. Hel pinched the bridge of her nose. Maybe not a headache, but a migraine? "I gathered that."

"What do you plan on doing about it, my lady?"

"Drop the formalities," Hel bit out. "You don't believe them anyway."

With a nod, the Valkyrie stepped back and disappeared from Hel's side altogether. No need in pretending. No need in over-sharing information. There was nothing Death couldn't find out by herself.

She scrubbed a hand through her dark tresses. _Steven is never going to believe Bucky did it. No way. He'll search for him even more furiously. It was hard enough to distract him the first time around… Oh Norns, sometimes I hate my hearts of gold. They're all so ridiculously stubborn and proud and paragon! Can't warn my soldier either. He'll need to figure that one out for himself._

Hel crossed her arms over her chest. Her hands were tied in this kind of mess. Because this was a strictly mortal affair of events, set off by the notion of the Winter Soldier resurfacing. There could be no sudden deaths. Otherwise the mortals might see their suspicions confirmed. Then there was the matter of the accords. An entirely different matter Hel had no influence on.

She groaned. _I hate mortals. Steven is going to side with Bucky, drawing in the newbie. They're against the accords of course, because Steven knows the government doesn't always know best. The Man of Iron is bound to side with the accords, because murderous robots and guilt. He's taking the other tin man with him and probably some ace he hides up his sleeve. At least the green man is out of trouble…_

"Hel! Hel, I need to talk to you," a female voice called out. The goddess recognized it as her Red's without problem.

With an unnecessary snap of her fingers, Hel materialised in front of Black Widow. A weapon was automatically close to her throat, but it only made the goddess smile. "That's how I like to be greeted. Makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside." Her smile was teasing, if slightly too wide. "Now, what can I help you with, Darling."

Natasha sheathed her weapon again with a quick look around. She was constantly making sure no one followed her. It was an instinct ingrained in her mind ever since the training in the Red Room. She hid it well among seemingly casual behaviour, but Hel could still notice it.

Finally, Natasha looked back at Death. "When we first met, I recognized you as this force that was watching over me and following me around," she began, drawing back into the shadows of a nearby building. "But the more I thought about it," Natasha narrowed her eyes, "I knew you even before the end of my training. You were there with me. I remember taking classes with you. And during the exercises and ballet practice."

A crooked smile settled on Hel's lips. "I wondered how long it would take you to remember. Given the letter and everything." Her appearance wavered lightly, changing. Black tresses shone almost white as moonlight, curled up into a plaited bun. Emerald eyes turned an unassuming grey-blue. The smile broadened. "Hello Natalia."

Natasha took the transformation in, silently working through the fact that her assumptions about Hel being part of the Red Room had been true. There was no need to panic. Death had proven to be on her side more often than not. More or less.

"There is going to be so much trouble. Between this and the accords," Natasha's eyes quickly darted to the smoke curling skywards. Hel nodded her agreement. Nothing more. Waiting. "Will you be on our side?" Natasha asked her, brows furrowed ever so slightly. _Oh sweet Red, does she really think she can play me? Mh, well, let's humour her._

Hel leaned slightly forward, a single strand of raven hair falling over her shoulder as her hair rearranged into a low bun held back with a small glimmering band around her head, the rest of the illusion falling away. "What's in it for me? I can't just choose favourites without a good enough reason." Although Hel's expression was innocent enough, she was sure Natasha could see the hunger, mischief hidden in the depths of her eyes. She was a trained assassin and spy after all. Missing usable information wasn't in her vocabulary.

"You're not going to do it, am I right?" she said calmly. There was no accusation in her voice. It was a statement like any other. _That's what I like about her. Always pragmatic. No hard feelings if it's nothing personal._Hel allowed the smile to disappear slightly as she shook her head in response. "I will make sure none of you die in the process of this confrontation – no matter how hard they might try – but otherwise my hands are bound. I can't just take or leave souls. These rules not even I can bend. As much as I'd like to sometimes."

Natasha made a sound of acknowledgment. The wheels in her head were already turning around a new topic. And Hel was more than happy to wait and see what her favourite killer would come up with to ask her. "When we first met, you told me you were somewhere around one hundred and eighty-four years old. I did research on it. On you. And frankly with the ages Jane Foster collected from Thor about his people and Asgardian lifespan, yours is impossible, if Loki is your father." _Ah, yes. She's got me._"So how old are you really."

Hel gifted her a cheeky grin. "I never claimed I said the truth about my age." She winked at Natasha. "And giving a higher age than you actually are is a safe way to gain respect from those around you. No one cares either way. Not enough at least."

For a moment the two women just looked at each other in silence. "I'm a daughter of Mischief," Hel admitted with a shrug. "It's literally in my blood."

If Natasha noticed – no, she definitely noticed the lack of a direct response to her questions, but she let it be for now. "Then I have another request of you. In honour of the letter you wrote me and with regards to our past and the oncoming fight for whatever is right."

"Neither of them is right," Hel said without batting an eyelash. "And we both know it. Tony and Bruce constructed Ultron that went haywire – that was a day to behold, wonder there weren't more victims. Steven declined the accords based on his experiences with the government regulating everything and now with Bucky out on the run again he is bound to chase his friend down and try to protect him. Whatever they do and who joins whom. This is bound to end in tears."

"And in the face of this chaos I want you to promise me to never let me forget you again," Natasha requested. "The experiences gained with Death at my side in the Red Room and beyond are a lesson I might find useful in the future. It's an asset I cannot risk losing again. So, I ask you to restore and preserve those memories within my brain for as long as I live."

That was not a request Hel would have expected. "That's a new one," she found herself muttering before she could stifle it. Her eyebrows almost touched her hairline. "But yes, since you asked so nicely, I can arrange for that." A slight smile already played across her lips, eyes sparkling. "The Black Widow and Death. If that doesn't sound like a force to be reckoned with." She ignored Natasha's lack of response, used to the other woman being slightly withdrawn from time to time. Besides, she had a lot on her plate at the moment. So, Hel closed in on the former ballerina and touched a glowing fingertip to her forehead.

"That's it?" Natasha rubbed at her tingling flesh. "Yep," Hel let the p pop between her lips. "That's all. Now I'm always with you in your memory. No force can reverse that spell. Natasha nodded her consent, thanked the goddess and then she was on her way again. Her phone rang. And once Natasha picked up, she was informed by someone on the other end of the capture of the Winter Soldier, Captain America, the Falcon and Black Panther. _Probably the Wakandan warrior_, Hel thought.

"I told them it was no good to chase him down." Natasha pursed her lips in disdain. _I bet she can feel the migraine forming as well_, Hel thought to herself, already feeling it creep back up on her at the thought of her soldier captured and at the mercy of unknown powers somewhere. _One wrong step and it's Winter Soldier all over again. Norns, I hate mortals._

With one last look, the women parted ways, both pursuing essentially the same goal even though using different strategies. And while Hel used one of her portals to get to her soldier (and possibly outrun the migraine), Natasha followed Captain America to see to his retrieval from custody.

Norns, Midgard was hell!


End file.
